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Posts Tagged ‘healing’

TIME TO COME HOME

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE OF THE FATHER   #1 AMLove of the Father Individual

Today is Father’s day and this month is the theme LOVE OF THE FATHER. I want you to know that this month we are not talking about bad fathers, we are going to celebrate the great fathers in the house. Today we celebrate all the fathers. Each Sunday we will be speaking about the Love of our Heavenly Father; how strong it is, how unending it is, how much we need it. When any person receives a revelation of the Love of the Father, they will find healing, they will find wholeness, they will find acceptance, and they will find their rightful place in life. But first we need to talk about separation.

STORY

I have four sons and as pastor I have had the privilege of marrying them to their sweethearts. One of the most emotional times I have ever experienced was conducting my first son’s wedding. I think I cried more than the mother of the bride! One of the biggest hits that I wasn’t prepared for was the moment when, after the reception was over, the first son drove away with his new bride to begin their new life together. I broke down. It was a real sense of loss, a sense of – this boy is now out of my life forever. Twenty-one years of raising him and now he’s gone.

I remember way back to the time when Chris was pregnant with our first child. I began to think about what we were in for being a parent. I asked myself the question, “Will I be a good parent? Will I be able to provide for my family? Will I be able to raise my children with wisdom?” The responsibility seemed daunting.

It is a big change when you move from manhood to Fatherhood. Fatherhood now means you’re responsible for more than just yourself and your wife; you are now bringing a new life into this world, and you are responsible for their welfare and success and there seems to be a lot of things that can go wrong. The child you’re raising can make choices too. That child can choose to do wrong, they can choose to walk away; and although you want the very best for them, as a father you cannot always control the outcome.

When your son or daughter walks away, that’s a pain that no father can bear. Let’s look at the pain of one father in the bible. Luke 15:11-24.

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (NLT)

Sometimes sons or daughters walk away. The pain of that experience for a Father is intense. It’s a nightmare for the Mother too, and she worries overtime about what will happen to them. The Father will question himself, was I a good parent? Was I firm enough? Did I give them enough wisdom and instruction? Did I train them up to face life?

Let’s look at the Father in this story. He is gracious, he lets the son go, even though he knows full well that it’s a foolish move; but there’s some things you’ve got to learn the hard way. There’s two really powerful thoughts in this story.  The father saw the son coming home “a long way off” – that proves he was waiting and watching for him to come, there was hope. Secondly the father ran to meet him. This speaks of passion, acceptance and joy.

No matter what you have done in your life, no matter what mess you got yourself into, no matter how stupid you were, no matter how many people hate you and reject you; there’s a heavenly Father who is waiting for you to come home. There’s someone who loves you unconditionally. Look and see and feel the Father’s heart today as you watch this Father stand at the farm gate waiting for the lost son to come home. There’s hope in that father’s heart for restoration and moving right back to full sonship. Did he deserve it? – No! But here’s the power of the Father’s love: He made a way for you to come back and find forgiveness.

When you have “come to your senses” like this prodigal son; God’s love for you is total acceptance! His generosity is complete with restoration to full sonship, inclusion in the family and bountiful provision. This great story illustrates the LOVE OF THE FATHER. All that is required to receive that love is the attitude the Prodigal Son had – he came to his senses, or as it says in another translation, “he came to himself” it’s that realisation that I cannot make it on my own, I need the Father. Consider the restoration from the father which we will unpack in coming weeks. He gave the Son the robe which speaks of righteousness – being in right standing or right relationship with God. He gave him the ring which speaks of sonship and authority. Not a hired hand but a full son of the father. He gave him sandals which speak of provision because servants have bare feet but sons have sandals provided. He gave the son a fatted calf which speaks of the sacrifice that is pleasing to God and the highest form of celebration. Not only that but it shows the preparation of the calf over time as though the father was expecting the son to one day return. As we unpack these ideas later I am praying that you will experience from God a revelation of His righteousness, His gift of sonship, His provision and His joy of celebration over your salvation and acceptance by the Father.

This story is dear to God’s heart because he lived through it in times past.

Listen to this passage, Gen 3:22-24

22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings[e] have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.(NLT)

Imagine the pain of God the Father as He forced Adam and Eve to leave the Garden of Eden on that tragic day when Adam chose to disobey God and brought upon himself the result of sin – separation from God. However a plan was in place from before the foundations of the earth that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, would choose to come and die on the cross and receive the judgement due to us all. By standing in our place He suffered and died for us that we may be pardoned and be forgiven if we too would come to ourselves and realise our great need of God.

The LOVE OF THE FATHER is life changing and healing. He has made a way for you and me to come home to Him, to be forgiven and completely restored to full sonship. Of course we don’t deserve it, but so great is His love to save and forgive and heal that if we will only turn to Him we can receive everything.

Will you begin the journey today?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why did the son leave and take his inheritance money?

2. What was it that made him come to his senses?

3. Do you think many people come to their senses like that?

4. What did the Father restore to him when he arrived home?

5. How much of those things do you feel you have received from God yourself?

 

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BUT HOW ARE YOU REALLY?

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

But how are you really? Sunday Night 10th November – Theme = Heal the Broken Hearted

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted.

Luke 4:18psalm-147-3-he-heals-shattered-hearts

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (NKJV)

Humanity is broken.

Many lives are wounded, forgotten, alone, sick, abused, depressed, sad – I could go on and on. Of course there are happy people everywhere, there are people who are achievers and people who are serving others and making life better for someone else.

But in every life there is some brokenness.

Who is there who has never faced rejection? Never faced loss? Never faced physical pain or illness.

 As Jesus walked among us, he encountered:

Jairus whose daughter had just died.

Blind Bartimeus who was born blind.

The man by the pool of Bethesda who was paralysed.

The woman at Samaria who had 5 husbands.

Zachaeus up in the tree, who every one hated.

 Jesus met them and turned their lives around. He heals the broken hearted.

I looked in the paper today…

A young man was killed by a drunk youth with one punch. The youth will now go to jail. Parents are broken, both sets. Girlfriends are broken, the man in jail is broken.

Typhoon Hayan in the Philippines killed hundreds and left millions homeless.

The story about domestic violence in PNG which has possibly the worst level for that crime  in the world

There is so much brokenness in the world.

Right here in our own city, every night people taking the drug “ice” are messing their lives and making life hard for staff at the Emergency Department at the hospitals. Family violence affects hundreds of families in this local area every year. Some people are losing their jobs. Someone just found out they have terminal cancer today.

Everywhere there is brokenness. We get on with life but deep inside there is pain for so many people.

I want to look at two particular men in the bible tonight who were broken people.

It’s the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus.

These two men were once little babies. Their mothers carried them around and had great dreams for them. They imagined their sons perhaps having a family of their own, or building a business or keeping sheep or maybe even being a religious leader.

But something went wrong. No mother ever plans for her son to commit a crime and be arrested. No mother plans to see her son executed for his crimes. Yet here we are two men being crucified beside Jesus.  One thief abused Jesus and called on Him to come down from the cross. The other asked for mercy.

Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us [[m]from death]!

40 But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty?

41 And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing [n]strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable].

42 Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come [o]in Your kingly glory!

43 And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. (AMP)

Two thieves. Two broken people. Two people who had lost their way and missed their true destinies.

One thief was broken hearted, the other was just broken.

For some, Jesus can be right beside you and you just don’t get it.

Is Jesus someone to criticise or someone to help you?

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted, that means those who are not hard hearted. One thief met Jesus in paradise that day. He didn’t deserve it, but because of God’s great love and His mercy He forgave the man whose heart was broken and open to God. Today is your opportunity to open your heart to God.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.(AMP)

Whatever your need, whatever your pain, whatever your facing Jesus will make a difference and you can receive life and healing and strength. Will you open your heart to Him?

Pray this prayer with me: “Jesus, I come to you. My life is a mess. I have no answers. I need you. You are my only hope. I open my heart to you and I ask you to come inside by your Spirit and forgive me for all my wrongs and heal my wounded heart. I surrender to you Jesus. Help me walk with you and learn your ways”

Please keep talking to Jesus and find a good church to go to that loves Jesus and teaches God’s word. Try and hang out with other Christians and read the bible (start with the New Testament) Please leave a comment below if you prayed that prayer.

Watch this clip with me today… http://youtu.be/hHOG2Ktqoe0

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Is there anyone who has no pain, no brokenness?
  2. Why is it that some people reject Jesus and others run to Him for help?
  3. Describe God’s love and mercy as He reaches out to a person who is calling upon Him for help.
  4. If the answer a person needs is a practical assistance who will be the one to help them?
  5. Is there someone you know with a broken heart? Can you reach out to them with God’s love?

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Sickness drains the life out of you!

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The Answer No. 3 Jesus is the answer when you are sick.mum and child

When sickness strikes a family, the struggle can be enormous. Have you experienced the feeling of helplessness that comes when someone you love is very ill and you wish you could do more for them? Pain can take over your life and render you unable to function properly. Illness is costly in so many ways; the suffering, the loss of function and productivity, the stress of coping and the financial costs are all huge and debilitating.

People are living longer these days. Since the 70’s life span averages in Australia have increased by 10 years. Yet there’s a far greater load on the health system than ever before. The rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes are rising all the time. Alzheimer’s disease is rising rapidly even in the lower age brackets. In spite of incredible advances in medical science; sickness is more prevalent than ever. No doubt our unhealthy life styles including lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and over eating have led to obesity and illness. Stress levels are rising (See the previous blog) pollution and contaminants are poisoning our air and water; and processed food adds little of the food value we once enjoyed. There is so much need in human lives even in this great country of Australia.

Jesus is the answer. All the way through the gospels we see Jesus healing people at every turn. He is still the same today. He never changes; He is the same yesterday today and forever. Heb_13:8  Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). (AMP)

So many people don’t come to Jesus for healing of their physical bodies because they think that this is only available through faith and they just don’t have faith. I’m here to tell you today Jesus does heal through faith but you have faith. It’s part of your capacity as a person created by God. Jesus said: Mat_17:20  He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. (AMP)

Many others don’t come to Jesus for healing because they mistakenly believe that healings and miracles only took place in Jesus day and are not for today. These wrong ideas come from erroneous teaching, and rob people of the answers available to them.

Still others don’t come to Jesus for healing because they don’t know anything about it and that it is available. We see people healed often in our local church. We have seen and experienced miracles as people have prayed and trusted in Jesus’ power.

An Australian preacher who has great success praying for the sick is John Mellor who comes each year to this church and we experience healings and miracles as Jesus touches peoples lives. John has placed many of the miracles on Youtube as testimony to the miracle power of Jesus to heal. You can check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnMellorMinistries

Jesus is the answer for you today. If you or your loved ones are experiencing sickness in your bodies Jesus can heal you. He is the answer. Let’s look at one of the most inspiring stories in the gospels about healing.

Mat 15:22  And behold, a woman who was a Canaanite from that district came out and, with a [loud, troublesomely urgent] cry, begged, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon!

Mat 15:23  But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us.

Mat 15:24  He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Mat 15:25  But she came and, kneeling, worshipped Him and kept praying, Lord, help me!

Mat 15:26  And He answered, It is not right (proper, becoming, or fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.

Mat 15:27  She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little pups (little whelps) eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.

Mat 15:28  Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you wish. And her daughter was cured from that moment.

In this story Jesus goes to a part of Israel which is a sea port on the Mediterranean Sea. There were in these regions obviously many people who were not of Jewish origin. Yet as with people every where it was sickness that brought this woman to Jesus. There was a great need in her life; her little daughter was very, very sick and she needed a miracle. Have you ever had a child who was very sick? I’m sure you felt that you would do anything to see them helped.  This mother was desperate find help for her daughter. She had heard about Jesus and His miracles and she just decided that she was going to get one of those for her daughter.

The problem was: Jesus was on a mission to bring the message of God’s love and power to the Jewish people first and then have His disciples take it to the rest of the world later after He had died and rose again. So in effect this woman was asking for a miracle about two years too early. This wasn’t some arbitrary idea of Jesus to be exclusive with the Jews, He was fulfilling a promise God made long ago to Abraham and his offspring that He would bless the whole world through them.

But this woman would not be put off. She refused to take no for an answer. And she got her miracle. Jesus said it was faith that gave her the miracle. We look at that exchange and we see a woman who seemed to make a clever deduction about what Jesus was saying, but Jesus saw her faith, it was that determination and that persistence that won through. Is your faith like that? So often we have negative feelings and we just want to give up. There will always be big obstacles to your miracle just as there was for this woman. Your obstacles might be:

  1. It’s never happened before to me.
  2. What would my family say if I received a miracle at a church?
  3. My doctor said there is no cure
  4. We already prayed and nothing happened.

I could go on ad on. But this woman was so determined to receive that she just kept on asking and asking of Jesus. Mat 7:7  Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. (AMP)

You may say “Yes, but Jesus was physically there, He had to deal with it. I can’t see Jesus. I don’t know if He can hear me. It’s not the same”  Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever, when he had died rose again and ascended into heaven His disciples healed people everywhere. Act 3:6  But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!

Act 3:7  Then he took hold of the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady,

Act 3:8  And leaping forth he stood and began to walk, and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. (AMP)

Jesus is still healing people all over the world. Just watch a few of those John Mellor videos to inspire your faith. There’s about 2000 of them on that youtube channel. Perhaps you will say to me, “yes but I have no faith, it can’t happen for me!”

Don’t give up. Come to Jesus, He will meet your need, be persistent and determined. Luk 18:1  ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).

The opponents of healing and miracles will tell you about people who prayed like crazy and didn’t get healed as if this was evidence that no one will get healed. This kind of upside down logic, if applied to cars for example, means that if your car breaks down just leave it because someone once tried to get their car fixed and it didn’t work, so don’t even try and get yours fixed!  If there’s only one miracle in our day and age then it’s proof that it can happen. So if it can happen and you need a miracle why wouldn’t you go after it? Instead of looking at the ones who didn’t receive why don’t you look at the ones who did?

Jesus is the answer when you have a need. When you need a miracle or a healing, come to Jesus. Go find a church that believes in healing. Watch some of those John Mellor healing videos, read the gospels and get inspired. Go after it and don’t give up.

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